Pollster John Zogby had predicted it: Jimmy Fallon graduated from college today.

The College of Saint Rose celebrated its 86th Annual Commencement today with commencement addresses from comedian, film and TV star and NBC’s “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon and internationally renowned pollster John Zogby. Degrees and certificates of advanced study were awarded to 1,868 students – including Fallon, who received his bachelor’s degree as a member of the Class of 2009.

At the ceremony held at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, the College awarded 1,366 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and 502 certificates of advanced study from its four academic schools.

In addition, both Fallon and Zogby received honorary doctorates.

It was a day for celebrating outstanding accomplishments and exceptional futures.

As his name was called, Fallon walked across the SPAC stage and was handed something that he had never before received: his bachelor of arts degree, along with a firm congratulatory handshake from Saint Rose President Dr. R. Mark Sullivan. Fallon attended Saint Rose from 1992 through 1995, starting as a computer science major before switching to communications. In the second half of his senior year, Fallon accepted a chance to break into comedy in Los Angeles. He was one semester short of a degree. Fallon earned his degree after presenting College officials with a portfolio of his work in TV and film, satisfying the College’s requirements for the remaining credits.

Fallon’s speech alternated between the hilarity of his “Late Night” bits with serious thoughts for his classmates. He used his film-making experience as an example.

“As long as you keep doing what you really love doing, you're going to be fine. Stuff is always going to happen that sets you back. There's always going to be someone out there like that movie critic, who doesn't believe in you or who thinks your head is too big or you're not smart enough or whatever. But those are the people you need to ignore, and those are the times you need to just keep doing what you love doing. Because it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks: it only matters what I think. I'm kidding. It only matters what YOU think.”

Fallon left Saint Rose only after seeking the guidance and support of the faculty and staff who had nurtured him.

“We encouraged him to go for it, to try for what he had always wanted,” said Dennis McDonald, the College’s vice president for student affairs. “We told him, ‘We’ll always be here for you.’”

Fallon also distinguished himself as among the more successful multi-taskers. Before the end of the ceremony, Fallon had graduated, delivered a commencement address, taped material for an upcoming program and sent a Tweet of his diploma that his nearly 1 million followers on Twitter will see, all before the last Saint Rose graduate had even crossed the stage. Within hours, his commencement was national news. By then, Fallon was already en route to his “Saturday Night Live” appearance.

After receiving his honorary degree, John Zogby, like Fallon, presented a vision of the world as wide open to the savvy generation of young people before him. He said they represent among the diverse and interconnected segment on the planet.

“You are the first to wonder, how can we make war against people who have the same fashions, people who listen to the same music and are connected by the networks to you and me,” Zogby said.

Zogby, whose wife, Kathleen, and sister, Selwa Stemmer, each graduated from Saint Rose, sprinted onto the national political stage in 1994 after correctly calling the unlikely victory of George Pataki over Gov. Mario Cuomo. He has continued to poll with remarkable precision in national races, while remaining in his hometown, Utica, N.Y. He has bucked convention by moving a traditionally behind-the-scenes job into the public light. He is an author and sought-after speaker, once profiled in The New Yorker, whose expertise is cited on the opinion pages of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. But he also has allowed himself to be spoofed by Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” appearances he has called high points in his professional life.

In his remarks opening the ceremony, President Sullivan hearkened back nine years to the late Tim Russert’s address to the Saint Rose Class of 2000, imploring students to be proud of the values they have learned during their years in college.

“Tim Russert said, ‘The values you have been taught, the struggles you have survived and the diploma you are about to receive have prepared you to compete with anybody, anywhere. Reject the conventional wisdom that success is only for the rich or privileged or Ivy League-educated. Don’t believe it. Because people with real values have a way of helping and teaching and reaching one another. People with backgrounds like yours and mine can and will make a difference,’” said Sullivan.

The nearly 800 students who attended today’s ceremony received their degrees from President Sullivan; Dr. David Szczerbacki, vice president for academic affairs and provost; Daniel P. Nolan, chair of the board of trustees; and Judith Kelly, registrar. They join more than 28,000 alumni of Saint Rose.